Massacre of Buffalos: Southlake Carroll 62, Haltom 0

 

Plenty of drama remained left last night after the glamour guys took a seat.
When the working stiffs shine

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS – You could make a persuasive case that the high points of the mismatch last night between Southlake Carroll and Haltom came after Carroll’s starters had retired to the sidelines for a well-deserved rest.

Up until that point, the natural excitement usually associated with Friday night football had been muted by the scope and the scale of the beatdown administered to the Buffalos (0-5, 0-2 in District 4-6A) by the rampaging Dragons.

Since the opening kickoff, Carroll (5-0, 2-0 in 4-6A) had methodically and dispassionately skinned the helpless Buffalos – much like the buffalo hunters in the 1870s decimated the bison herds of the Great Plains.

The Dragons scored on their first nine possessions, rolling up 608 total yards to the Buffs paltry 160. Quarterback Kaden Anderson connected with 8 different receivers in completing 13 of 16 attempts for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Running rampant

James Lehman, who ran in tandem with rusher supremo Owen Allen, rumbled for 2 TDs and caught a 27-yard strike from Anderson for a third. (Leading receiver Jacob Jordan accounted for Anderson’s other TD, a 39-yard missile capping a 70-yard drive.) Despite the reps assigned to Lehman, Allen still rolled to 108 yards on 16 runs and scored a TD.

Meanwhile, the Dragon D harassed, pursued and pummeled Haltom quarterback Ashton Moore, intercepting him once and holding him to 130 passing yards. His runners struggled to eke out an embarrassing 30 yards. Moore compiled -13 yards for his attempts to run the  ball himself.

Twice, Moore managed to lead his team deep into Dragon territory, but Carroll’s defensive unit quickly ended the threats by unceremoniously sacking him.

In other words, it was business as usual, just another day at the office for the masters of District 4-6A: an efficient and thorough thrashing by Carroll’s rampaging offense and strangling defense.

Ho-hum. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

Except there was. There was plenty to see for those of us who stuck around after Carroll's glamour guys surrendered the field and the working stiffs of the action squad took over. Because the backups had their moments last night. Oh, boy, did they.

One special moment came at the beginning of the second half when senior running back Todd Mallory replaced Allen and Lehman.

Tough as nails

Mallory – a tough-as-nails runner who plays with the ferocity of a hungry cougar – has seen plenty of action so far this season. But because he runs behind a backup O- line, he’s had limited opportunities to shine. And he comes into games when the end result is no longer in doubt and the game plan is to end the bloodshed with no further injuries.

But when the backups take over, you can’t expect them to operate at anything other than maximum effort. They want to score touchdowns and shut down offenses. And last night, they did just that.

Behind Mallory’s bruising running and backup quarterback Graham Knowles’ passing, Carroll, already leading 35-0, moved steadily downfield. A 12-yard pass from Knowles (7-11, 108 yards) to Caden Jackson brought the Dragons to the Haltom 2. Mallory took the handoff and burst across the line for the first varsity touchdown of his high school career.

He was immediately surrounded by his offensive line, who hugged him and pounded him on the back. When he reached the sideline, his other teammates repeated the drill. The delight of his entire team was apparent even from the stands.

After the game, head coach Riley Dodge was equally pleased, praising Mallory for his intelligence, his hard work and his dedication.

In a postgame interview, a laconic Mallory was asked how it felt to score his first varsity touchdown.

Without elaboration

“It felt great,” he said without elaboration. Urged by radio announcer Chuck Kelly to provide details, Mallory paused a moment, then added reluctantly, “I got the ball, saw there was only one guy between me and the endzone. So I lowered my shoulder and went in.”

A couple of serious challenges face the Dragons as they chase another district title.
A man of action, not of words, Mallory must have liked the attention because he tacked on a second TD later in the game.

That scoring run came after another one of those high points I mentioned. The Dragons faced an impossible 4^th and 18 at the Haltom 29. In normal times, they’d have settled for a Tyler White field goal. But not on the first play of a 4^th quarter when they already led 49-0. So Knowles lofted a high arching prayer to receiver Evan Watts inside the 5-yard line.

Both Watts and a Buff defender watched and waited as the ball descended. At the last moment, Watts lost his footing and toppled backwards. The Buffalo defender, still on his feet, reached for the ball, but bobbled it, exhausting its speed and altering its trajectory. It dropped on top of Watts, flat on his back, and he seized it with the fervor of a drowning man reaching for a life buoy.

After a moment of stunned silence, the Carroll side of the Birdville Fine Arts/Athletic Complex exploded in glee. Who says there’s no drama in a blowout? On the next play, Mallory added the cherry on top of the sundae with a 3-yard TD plunge.

But that wasn’t the end of the show. The Dragon D, now in the hands of kids who rarely get to see action under Friday night lights, handed a final indignity to Haltom’s overwhelmed quarterback.

After Mallory’s second TD pushed the score to a ridiculous 55-0, Moore dragged his dispirited troops to their own 38, then sent a pass spiraling downfield. Dragon junior defensive back Zach Engelhardt intercepted it and carried it to the Buff 46.

Dazzling run

Then Parker Thompson, the third Dragon quarterback to take the field, staged a dazzling 38-yard run to the Haltom 8. We don’t see much of this kid, but he’s a gamer. On the next play, Thompson flashed through the line for the Dragons’ final score and perhaps a team record. Before joining Anderson on the sideline, Knowles had zipped a 16-yard TD pass to Jack Van Dorselear. How many times have three Dragon quarterbacks scored in a single game?

Last night saw the second shut out by the Dragon defense in as many weeks. It has toughened quickly into a solid unit approaching elite status. How good can these kids be? That’s hard to say since they've yet to be seriously challenged offensively.

For instance, a chill ran through me when the Buffs’ Moore managed on separate plays to connect with receivers Jaylon Mason and Jeramiah Sanders for passes of 52 and 39 yards, respectively. Neither drive ultimately amounted to anything. But as a friend of mine who is an authority on high school football pointed out, those kind of lapses in the Dragon secondary can be exploited by the juggernauts waiting for the Dragons in the playoffs.

Thus far, District 4-6A hasn’t been much of a proving ground, although that could change before the dust settles and a district champion emerges. Upcoming matchups with 4-6A opponents Keller and Byron Nelson could offer proof of the pudding, regarding both Carroll’s defense and its heralded offense, which is cruising along like a souped-up Chevy Malibu. (Yes, kiddies, that used to be a thing.)

Carroll gets a bye this week, time to rest, recuperate and refine. Then it faces the first of the tough 4-6A nuts it must crack – the Keller Indians at Dragon Stadium on Oct. 7. The 4-0 Indians meet Keller Central (1-3) tonight and should be able to handle the Chargers without too much trouble.

Challenges ahead

The Dragons are another matter entirely. With a bye week to prepare, I like Carroll to spoil the Indians’ unsullied run.

Byron Nelson, now 5-0, 2-0 in 4-6A, would dearly love to be a Dragon slayer when it arrives in Dragon Stadium on Oct. 28. It is scary good this year.

The Bobcats humiliated Denton Braswell 79-20 earlier in the season. And they obliterated Keller Timber Creek 69-2 last night. As you recall, the Falcons were the team Carroll whipped 51-0 just last week.

“I guess that means Byron Nelson is better than we are,” my friend joked last night as we walked to our cars.

“I don’t think I’m ready to accept your algorithm on this,” I replied with a grin.

But Byron Nelson is no joke, and chances are that the Oct. 28 matchup, the ninth game of the Dragons’ regular season, will be a battle for the 4-6A title. What a delicious prospect.

The bye week will give this Dragon fan an opportunity to complete Halloween decorations. The kids are grown, but Marice and I still enjoy putting up ghosts and goblins around Gunnels Manse. We're a bit daft, but it keeps us young.

Speaking of spooky, perhaps Haltom was trying to get a jump on the holiday when it attired the Buffalos in brilliant orange jerseys and pants. It reportedly was the first time they had ever appeared in such startling splendor. If they hoped to distract, distress or discombobulate the Dragons – alas, they were, oh, so very mistaken.

Happy bye week and … Go, Dragons!

The Dragons' two most important district games will take place in lovely Dragon Stadium.